Derbyshire husband's praise for 'incredible' Ashgate Hospicecare

Kim Clayton was just 56 when she died and she and Paul, 57, had been married for 33 years.

Kim was first diagnosed in 2014 and had spent the years since then undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy and a hysterectomy.

She battled through but the cancer tragically returned in 2020 which led to her being admitted to Ashgate Hospicecare’s Inpatient Unit twice.

When speaking about this experience, Paul said: “From the moment I walked through the doors at Ashgate, I knew that Kim was in safe hands.

"She’d been suffering from severe pain for some time and Ashgate was able to get a handle on that almost immediately.

"This brought her great relief and meant that she was able to make the most of the time she had left.

“Throughout her stay, Kim was always well looked after, and everyone involved in her care always took the time to explain what was happening and what to expect. In fact, everybody who works there deserves a special mention, from the volunteers to the doctors.

“Everyone takes the time to learn your name and have a chat – it really feels like you are part of one big family.

"They were incredible and offered support in every way.”

During her time in hospital, Kim had been unable to have any visitors due to restrictions caused by Covid-19.

However, following her move to Ashgate Hospicecare, Paul was able to visit daily, due to patients having private rooms.

He said: “We used to say that staying at Ashgate was like being at home, with all your home comforts but with expert medical care when you needed it.

"Kim had her own room that looked out over a patio with a bird feeder.

"It sounds like such a small thing, but Kim liked to sit and watch the birds, just as she had done at home.

“Being able to visit as often as I liked made the world of difference to Kim and I.

"Phone calls are great for keeping in touch, but nothing beats physically being together, even if we were sat doing our own thing, we found great comfort in just being close to one another.

"That is especially true when you know that time is against you.”

Paul says that he will never be able to repay Ashgate Hospicecare for the difference they made to Kim’s life and that he will be forever grateful for the support during the hardest time of his life.

When discussing Kim’s funeral, he said: “We decided not to have flowers at the funeral and, instead, have asked for donations to Ashgate.

"Incredibly, we have raised more than £3,300, and I hope this goes some way in allowing another family to access this vital support.”

During the Covid-19 crisis, Ashgate Hospicecare has continued to deliver its specialist end-of-life care to patients and their families across north Derbyshire.

Hayley Wardle, director of quality and patient care, said: “I am incredibly proud at how hard our staff and volunteers are working and how they have been able to adapt to the changing demands.”

For more information about Ashgate Hospicecare, click here.